Forgiveness Story
by robiguess
Summary: A moment lost in time, a Dream? a Memory? another World? The girls are happy and everything is better then it should be, but not Perfect enough. Things begin to fall apart and the flaws begin to show. Homura sets out to find out who would create such a world and why... even if the truth destroys her.
1. ---Prologue In Heaven---

The black rain cascaded from the sky like a constant beating drum against Homura's head, the soot mixing with the ankle deep water that flooded the world around her, yet other than the constant rain there was silence, no noise, no movement.

Just Homura amidst her greatest mistake.

She closed her eyes and breathed, allowing the smell of smoke and rusting metal to fill her lungs.

And then the silence was broken. 

_'Nein! Ich kann meine Familie sehen!' said the Yellow Doll._

"Homura."

Homura's head clicked into place, staring at the figure that had interrupted her peace.

"Madoka?"

Hair loose, ragged and messy, skin ashy and pale with her extravagant outfit draped across her frame, soaked from both the water in the sky as well as that which settled across the ground.

"Is this really your choice?" Her voice was quiet and defeated. 

_'Nein! Ich kann meine Freunde sehen!' said the Blue Doll._

"Yes." No hesitation, No fear. No regret.

Homura stared at the figure before her.

"You can still change your mind." For a brief moment both of them had an identical sad smile upon their lips, a possibility of happier times.

A brief gap in which they could pretend this didn't have to happen.

"Madoka-" 

_'Nein! kann meine Liebe sehen!' said the Red Doll._

"I know." The moment ended. "You have to do this."

Her head bowed down, hair hiding her features as her gloved hands dyed black, glowed pink; a small gem forming, shining bright between her fingers despite the dark curse laying warped within it's centre.

Hands shaking, the gem was lifted up towards Homura.

"Homura," the rain continued to fall. "Whatever happens please make sure I never make this mistake again..."

Her hands continued to shake and Homura felt her eyes grow wet.

If it was from the rain or the tears she was desperately trying to hide she didn't know.

She raised her hands.

"It was stupid of me to think I could save everyone." 

_'Ich kann sehen, wie es ender.' said the White Doll._

"I was so stupid."

A single tear fell.

And the silence was broken by the sound of breaking glass.


	2. Chapter 1: Kismet

Homura woke up shaking, her skin still feeling damp from the rain, her hands shot forward to grab something, she didn't even know what.

But there was nothing there, her skin was only wet from perspiration from tossing and turning.

She was fine. Madoka was fine.

But why wouldn't she be? As she lay there the smell similar to sliced melon filled her nostrils replacing the images rolling through her head, the dream began to fade and shift, becoming harder to recall, harder to remember, harder to-

"Homura~ It's time to get up~" Her reverie shattered and eyes glancing to the knocking door.

"I, um… five minutes, please!" She looked around the room she was in and felt a wave of understanding.

"Oookay! Mama made Pancakes!"

The sound of retreating footsteps.

She Was Fine. Madoka Was Fine.

And she was right outside Homura's door because, oh yeah, she was staying at Madoka's home.  
She felt her cheeks redden as she realised the smell was the freshly cleaned sheets.

She gave herself a light slap to wake herself up, her soul gem cool on her middle finger helping to into focus her on the here and now.  
Focus on going to breakfast, she could deal with her... Feelings, later.

Well she should probably shower first.

Because she was fine.  
Madoka was fine.  
Everything was fin̶͔͓e.

 _Schlaf_

* * *

will be flash fiction so v short BUT will update when able

have minor dyslexia so any issues? please point out


	3. Chapter 2: Relâche

"Mama, please can you pass the sugar?"

"You packed your school work right girls?"

"Make sure to eat all of it up, Tatsu!"

Homura sat in silence, enjoying her (slightly burned) pancakes and just listening to the flow of conversation.

"Papa, you should make pancakes tomorrow! They're way better than Mamas!" A soft giggle.

"Careful You'll get food down your uniform!" A swift motion.

"Tom-A-Toe! Tom-A-Toe!" An innocent voice.

She wasn't used to this sort of domestic life before. It was peaceful yet hectic, simple yet complex, perfect.

"Whoops! Don't drop your food!"

"Dear, isn't your important meeting today?"

"Amy is just the sweetest, wouldn't you agree, Homura?"

"Eh?" The sudden question startled Homura and her hand went to her braid on reflex. "What was that, Ms Kaname?"

"I was just talking about Amy! She's so cute!" The 'call me Madoka' went unspoken but not unsaid.

"Ah-" was all she could reply, while she'd seen the aforementioned stray there wasn't much she could say on the subject, in comparison to Madoka's unabashed overpowering love for all things cute, Homura was more-

"She's so small and fluffy and her fur is the most dazzling white and-"

Subdued.  
But something about Madoka's rambling seemed... off.

"I... thought she was black, Ms Kaname?" It was Madoka's turn to look confused.

"What do you mean? That's what I said, right...?" Homura's eyes scrunched up with confusion behind her glasses, she could have sworn Madoka had-

 _Geh schlafen_

"Oh right. Sorry I must have misheard you." The conversation quickly devolved back to the usual chatting and gossip until Madoka's mother and the two girls had to leave for work and school respectively.

"Good luck with work Mama!"

"You three be safe!"

"Remember to eat all your bento this time Madoka!"

"Wehihihi, yes, Mama."

Perfect.

Yet Homura couldn't get the taste of pears out of her mouth.


	4. Chapter 3: Ibidem

There was something off about their walk to school, it was like painted glass, perfect yet slightly blurred. Not in a literal sense, more a figurative sense, like there was something Homura was missing, something not quite right.

It felt like there was something disconnected from the image before her and the one in her head. In a way, it almost felt like this was as much a memory as the ones in her head.

"Yo, transfer student, you alright in there? You getting called back to your home planet?" Homura smiled at the slight teasing from Sayaka and ducked her head.

"It's nothing I just-" she frowned trying to put her feelings into words "Do… do you ever get the feeling we've done this before?"

Sayaka and Madoka blinked.

"What do you mean Homura? Like dejavu?"

"Yes." Homura couldn't help but beam, of course Madoka would understand her. "But it's also like a dejavu that I'm... remembering wrong?"

"Wow transfer student! Faulty dejavu is certainly one for the books!"

"Sayaka! Don't be mean." Madoka chided, though clearly unable to hide the small smile forming.

"Jeez, Madoka, just cause I insulted your reincarnated lover doesn't mean-" but again she was interrupted.

"Sayaka! SHHHHH!" She attempted to muffle Sayaka's words and their disagreement quickly devolved into Sayaka running for her life from an agitated pinkette. Homura couldn't help but smile, her previous thoughts almost forgotten.

 _We're missing somebody._

Almost.


	5. Chapter 4: Echopraxia

**"Are you sure you want to do this?"**

"I'm sure."

 _"Well, I'm still trying to figure out your plan, Ms Mikuni."_

 **"HAH!? You think you deserve to know Orikos plan!?"**

"Stay calm, Kirika. He's trying to rile you up."

 _"What would I gain from-?"_

"Do I really need to answer that, Incubator?"

 _..._

"I thought so."

* * *

 **"This… This is gonna work... right, Oriko?"**

"I… yes."

 **"...Okay."**

"Aha... you don't even need an explanation?"

 **"I trust you!"**

"...Kirka, whatever happens here, please remember that I-"

 **"Don't! Don't. Y'can tell me when this all works out."**

 _"You mean IF, not wh-"_

"Kirika, you didn't have to kill him."

 **"Well, somebody had to shut him up…"**

"You know it's useless, dear..."

 **"Hey! Who knows, maybe this time it'll actually stick!"**

* * *

"Be safe, dear."

 **"...You too, Oriko."**

* * *

 _"I'm surprised you aren't helping her. Surely the two of you working together could easily deal with the situation at a much-"_

 **"Shut up!"**

 _"...Please refrain from killing me, it is rather wasteful."_

 **"Then shut yer mouth and leave me alone! Oriko has a plan."**

 _"You really trust her?"_

 **"...with everything."**


	6. Chapter 5: Macaronic

"And that's why you should never date anybody who thinks you should be able to knit a full length scarf in just 1 week!" Ms Satome smiled, her expression in stark contrast with the nearly breaking pointing stick in her hands.

Homura (much like several other students within the class) let out a quiet sigh of exasperation, hoping that her tirade was reaching its end.

"Oh I almost forgot!" She pushed her glasses up her nose and addressed the class with slightly more gusto. "We will be receiving a new transfer student next week."

A hush fell over the class before almost as quickly being overruled by the excited murmurs.

A transfer student? A few months after the last one? Homura felt a few people glance her way and blushed.

Ms Satome quickly regained control of the class and continued lessons as 'normal', yet Homura felt her mind wander... A transfer student? Something felt off about that.

 _NeiN_

Her reverie was broken by a surge of dark miasmic energy, the unmistakable wave of grief surging from a lower level of the school.

 _'Mami, did you-'_ Sayaka's telepathic shout was cut short as another wave of the accursed grief washed over them. Homura saw both Sayaka and Madoka tense as it passed, their classmates completely oblivious to the sudden chaotic force below.

' _Yes, Sayaka.'_ Mami's tone was strained _'It must have just hatched.'_ She went silent for a second before resuming,

' _We can't all leave to fight it without raising suspicion probable best method is for myself and one of you three-'_ but she was cut off by Madoka joining in the conversation.

 _'I'll go!'_

 _'Wha-? Madoka? No, I'll go, me and Mami will have this done in no time!'_

 _'But Sayaka, you-'_

 _'No Madoka, I can heal her if she-'_

 _'But I think that-'_

 _'GIRLS!'_ Mami's shout rung out and stopped the silent argument from devolving any further. _'While both of you would be an asset, I believe Ms Akemi would be the best aid when it is just the two of us.'_

Homura's mouth shut, opened and then shut again as she processed the information (drawing a curious look from the boy besides her).

 _'...M-Me?'_ She felt panic begin to bubble up inside her. She'd never fought without Madoka before, what if she messed up? What if Madoka got hurt while she was gone?

 _'Akemi, your magic will help me capture and restrain whatever is thrown at us from a distance, while Madoka can do the same. Your versatility will be more useful AND-'_ she raised her voice to cut off Sayaka '-will hopefully prevent the need for healing entirely.'

Homura tried not to blush as she tried to think of any way out of the situation.

 _'Now, I will meet you on the second floor in a moment, you two keep up the act that everything is fine, please. If we don't contact you in 10 minutes-'_

 _'We come and help beat up the creep who would lay a finger on Mami!'_ Sayaka's energy radiated off her in such waves that she was visibly tensing up.

' _Actually I was going to- ah, never mind. Homura I'm counting on you!'_

And she was gone. And Homura felt the anxiety rise up again, along with something else...

Excitement.


	7. Chapter 6: Hominiform

Homura and Mami stood outside the stairs to the lower floor, the pulses of anger and grief beat faster and faster each moment they wasted.

"Are you ready?" Mami, ever caring smiled at Homura, hand going to her soul gem on her finger which Homura guessed was probably as uncomfortably cold as her own.

"Yes."

They transformed.

 _Yellow bloomed like flowers, cascading across her limbs and forming an ephemeral light that cloaked her form, a brush of fingers against fabric caused ribbons to sprout, wrapping itself around her and encasing her completely as her hands began to raise. Then, her hand lightly touched her hair, the ribbons surrounding her head peeled away in like a flower, a beret and gem forming, then with a blast of yellow the ribbon tomb was shredded to dust, replaced with her true form._

 _Purple shrunk like cloth, her inner light sparkling down to an iridescent dot, her hands tried to reach to the centre of her form and with a flash great lines of colour shot out, coalescing back to the centre, it left her physical form and began orbiting around her, the light left trails of silk and spider web, a shawl of dew covering her from head to toe, she reached out to grab it and it exploded forth from her hand, gem forming and blasting the restraining garment back replacing it with her true form._

But such a display had not gone unnoticed.

"Brace yourself!" Mami's gem glowed as the impossible space within the stairwell buckled and burst.

Pink tendrils shot forth engulfing the two, a baleful howling filled the hall, the scent of blood and tears filled the corridor while mad colours danced around the girls billowing outfits.

And then the corridor was empty.

* * *

A Craving Nature


	8. Chapter 7: Impleach

The barrier was dark, large swathes of black before them dispersed with shining twinkles of rainbow stars. They flashed across the barrier, growing and shrinking, filling the barrier with different fantastical shades and hues.

Homura and Mami stood back to back assessing their surroundings. Mami had a single musket drawn, alert and ready, while Homura's hand lay near her soul gem.

"No welcome party?" Mami lowered her musket slightly and stared at the shifting colours.

"Hmmm... it's alarmingly quiet." She took a step forward, musket in hand. "Well, it seems the hosts are waiting for us in the centre of the barrier."

She turned and beamed "Lets not keep them waiting, Homura, hm?"

"I-" She hesitated for a moment. Hands clenched whilst focusing on the anxiety bubbling within her. She could do this. No, she would do this.

"Let's… Let's go, Ms Tomoe!"

Mami let out an airy laugh.

They began with a running start towards the heart of the barrier.

* * *

A few minutes later, a call from outside could be heard by the pair.

 _'Hey, you alright?'_ Sayaka's voice, while muffled, came through the shared connection without issue.

 _'Yes, Sayaka. It seems this is a more passive one than anticipated.'_ Mami turned right ,nearly colliding with a shifting shard of starlight.

 _'She seems to be hiding in the centre of the barrier...'_ Homura chimed in to help explain the situation they were dealing with.

 _'At least you're safe, Homura! Thank goodness!'_ Madoka chimed in.

' _And what's Mami then? Chopped liver!?'_

 _'Ah, n-no I-'_

 _'Don't worry, Madoka!'_ Mami smiled as she ran besides homura _'So far this barrier has been perfectly-'_

And then the floor fell out from beneath them.

 _'-safe-?'_

They fell.

* * *

"TOMOE!"

Their connection cut off as they fell through swirling colours and darkness indiscriminately, a loud wind beginning to blow them apart.

"I'm here!" A yellow ribbon suddenly lashed through the dark towards Homura's outstretched hand, missing it just within reach.

"Again!" The wind began to howl as they fell into the deep, making it harder to listen to one another. The fact their telepathy had cut out could only mean one thing.

"Tch! One more time!" Once more, desperately, the ribbon flew and while it teased the edge of Homura's fingers, it ultimately swirled it's way back to Mami.

She felt desperation take hold, if they got seperated by this wind they would get flung into different parts of the barrier, they would be alone, alone with-

"Akemi, watch out!" The ribbon finally caught hold of her hand and managed to yank her towards Mami, her breath stolen as she was pulled forth at high speed, barely managing to avoid being flattened by a large pink object.

She grabbed hold of her senior's hand and looked up at the retreating blur as they continued to fall in the seemingly endless hole. She watched it improbably stop in the flow, and before she could get a good look at it, the pink shape suddenly darted downwards, too fast to see and too precise to be an accident.

"Tomoe!" She shouted a warning.

"Right!" Homura felt heat between them grow stronger as the pink projectile drew closer at breakneck speed. Homura didn't have time to mix her own magic in but she could still alert Mami when the moment was just-

"Tomoe, now!"

Just before it hit, the air between them exploded. The pair were thrown apart, the ribbons connecting them seemingly insignificant in comparison to the sheer size and complexity of the large net of ribbons the creature was entangled with.

Homura watched as Mami drew her hands backwards and began to draw energy.

"Tiro-"

But with a **BARK** , the barrier shifted, and with a burst of energy and imagery that made Homura nauseous, they were suddenly grounded once more. The ribbons shredded into tatters around them into a large cathedral sized room, wood paneled walls stretching improbably high. A large bricked over entrance that if had been open would not dissimilar to a dog house.

"Tomoe… are you alright?" Homura gazed at Mami worriedly as she stumbled to her feet.

"Shaken, but fine." She brushed off her outfit and turned to smile at Homura to reassure her, but not before noticing something.

"Ah, Akemi, your-" The statement died on her lips as the pair heard low, hostile growling.

Before them stood a horse sized creature, like a dog but also nothing like a dog. Great tendrils of pink energy that Homura had seen earlier were part of a colossal mane, whipping round where a head would be in a style that was not unlike candy floss. Shapes like bows flowed within, half mixed in with the flow, the other half un-moving and seemingly locked in space. The bulk of the creature was skinny and disjointed, a white that would look like bone if bone could be bleached even whiter than white, and limbs seemingly twisted, as if drawn from an inaccurate caricature or a model that had been left in the kiln too long. Thin parts where too thin, and the wider parts were blown out in a way that would be cute if not for the aura of pure despair it emanated.

Before them, surrounded by rotating plasticine familiars, stood the master of the barrier.

Before them, stood the witch.

Homura readied her bow.

The fight had just begun.

 _Sie will Freunde_

 _Sie will den Tod_

 _Warum nicht beide?_


	9. Chapter 8: Lypemania

Homura fired where the witch had stood, but the energy bolt struck empty air, detonating into a cloud of purple magic. She felt warmth pass her cheeks as Mami fired a shot dangerously close, striking their foe away from her in what could have been a painful strike.

She nodded her head in thanks while firing several weak bolts of magic in an arc to keep the witch at bay as it darted around them trying to get close, each shot only just missing it and detonating either against a wall or the side of the strange faux wooden room they were in.

Bullets fired at an equal pace as Mami, back to back with Homura, attempted to catch it's legs or tails. But both of their tasks was made all the harder as one of the familiars, a shapeless humanoid blob wearing a stereotypical witch hat, spun forwards nearly crashing into Homura and Mami. Thankfully, it was not as fast as the witch. The duo easily batted it away with bow and musket handle alike to keep it away and focus on the much faster, much angrier witch.

The doglike monstrosity suddenly stopped and the cotton like energy suddenly began to swirl faster and faster. Mami's shots rang out only to be met with the bow like items being flung through the air at high speed, detonating with the bullets in clouds of what seemed like pillow stuffing.

The witch let out a howl as more of the projectiles where flung forth, and it's minions constant spinning began to increase to a worrying degree. The two Magical Girls were forced apart as one with semi melted cat ears sped through them, very nearly taking off Homura's head in the process.

She raised her bow to take another shot, but another plasticise figure with a beret zoomed in front of her. Meanwhile, the one with the witch hat span into her back, the speed knocking her to the floor, thankfully putting her under another barrage of multicoloured bows.

Mami was faring no better. While she was weaving between the familiars with ease, each attempt to constrict the witch was met with either her bullets destroyed or the bindings reduced to shreds.

"We need to remove these familiars!" Another spray of bullets, another barrage of bows.

"Even when I manage to get a few shots through, the familiars are destroying the ribbons!" Homura quickly dodged to the side of another spinning familiar and found herself back within the centre of the room where she again had to avoid the witch-hatted familiar.

Suddenly, as she watched it reduce the few ribbons Mami had produced to tatters, comprehension dawned.

"Tomoe- " Homura watched the familiars spin and ducked to the side of the cat eared familiar, taking note of the beret and witch hat familiars taking notice of her turn. "Tomoe, they're following a set pattern!"

Understanding washed over Mami's face as she dodged one with large boots. "I'll take care of them! Keep the witch off my-" She was cut off as another familiar got dangerously close to colliding with her stomach causing who knows how much damage.

"Got it!" Mami quickly began to fire with earnest, the knowledge of a pattern led to her dodges becoming more precise and exact, and more of the bows being destroyed before they could even get near Homura.

Homura began to almost dance between the familiars, and while not as graceful as Mami, her legs moved her out of certain injury over and over as she tried to figure out the pattern, tried to figure out how to-

The cat eared familiar swished to the side. Homura turned and fired a shot at where the beret familiar would soon be, sure enough her shot grazed through the air and was headed straight for the path of the beret.

A sudden blur of pink weaved through the familiars. The witch deftly dodged towards the beret familiar, its attack forgotten as it leapt through the air, body intercepting the arrow and acting as a shield for the familiar-

Only for the arrow to fly over the witch's head and skewer the plasticine familiar through the chest.

The witch stared at the melting blob that had been a familiar, as if in shock. The energy had begun to swirl faster and faster with a malicious intent. It faced Homura and let out a harrowing **BARK**!

All the familiars ceased spinning and collapsed into puddles on the floor.

The candy stopped swirling. It pulled back from where a snout would be, where a mouth or ears or anything remotely normal would be... but what greeted Homura was a single bleeding eye. The blood gushed like tears from it, the eye shining a sickly yellow, with parts of it seemingly stitched together from other eyes, and the thread holding it together bulged out painfully. Homura watched transfixed as the eyeball burst, splitting down the middle to reveal human teeth gritted in a grimace and black foam bubbling like tar as the witch let out a loud, guttural growl.


	10. Chapter 9: Decarnate

The Canine witch darted forward. If it's speed had been fast before, it more was like a bullet now. It crashed into Homura before she could blink, her reaction time not fast enough as vicious spit dripped from a maw that was mere moments from tearing into her face.

Homura froze up as it descended. All rational thought gone, all plans lost, only a single thought entered her head, a sudden dazzling realisation.

 _I can't go ba-_

Mami's reaction time, however, was just right.

"Legare!"

The witch, torn from Homura, skidded to the other side of the room, rolled over the remains of a familiar, and crashed into a now dented wooden wall. As ribbon bindings exploded from the bullet, it began to struggle, teeth gnashing and cotton candy spinning wildly, only for another cry of "Legare!" and more ribbons shooting from the wound of the howling, screaming witch.

Mami outstretched a hand to the downed magical girl, a smile drawn on her lips. "While it may be faster, it's also sloppier."

Homura's hand hung in the air as she hesitated for a split second. But ultimately, she took Mami's hand. Mami's eyes lit up at the gesture. "Let's finish this, Akemi!"

But the witch was not done yet. Mami's ribbons were devastated as volleys of bows gushed forth so suddenly that the duo had to jump into the air to avoid the first salvo. Weapons were drawn and fired as hundreds of tiny projectiles rained down around them, slicing into the already damaged wood with loud splintering crashing.

Just as suddenly as it started, the onslaught stopped. And for a split second, they hovered there about to fall.

Candy floss exploded out from the beast's form, swirling forward and desperately pushing the duo away from the wounded witch.

With a great echoing crash, the walls exploded, and candy floss spilled out across the rest of the barrier, washing their surroundings into a realm of dazzling lights.

More familiars suspended above them in glass tubes, immobile and still.

Unlike the witch.

Homura fired an arrow as it dashed through the sticky remains, the witch's eye now completely revealed as it sprinted towards her, it's mouth stretching from ear to ear. The arrow crashed against it's bare shoulder, causing a chunk to rip off, and red stuffing gushed from the wound.

Ignoring the gash, it barreled forward clumsily. Another gunshot, and it's left leg was gone.

Another arrow. It crashed to the ground, barking, growling, and screaming, and wobbled back to it's remaining feet as it tried to thrash aimlessly towards them in a last ditch effort to win.

"Let's end this before it can surprise us again." Mami turned to her protegee, her guns drawn and a determined grin on her face. Homura nodded, readying her bow, now taking aim alongside her senior.

With one last push, the witch suddenly shot up, hurtling wildly towards the two puella magi, mouth open, teeth glinting-

 **"Tiro Tempora!"**

Purple and yellow projectiles shot forward, striking the witch dead on target. A great purple bubble formed around it's rabid form, yellow ribbons wrapped around it's lashing body, securing it in mid air. The witch howled loudly in distress and desperation.

The witch, now bound by Mami's ribbons and stopped by Homura's arrow, gave them the perfect opportunity to strike. As the two of them quickly darted in circles, arrows and bullets struck the edge of the bubble and froze in place as they entered it's circumference. Within the span of a few seconds, the bound witch was soon surrounded by a second bubble of pure explosive force.

With her sharp skills, Mami called forth a defensive wall of ribbons to act as a makeshift bunker.

Within a few breaths, the bubble dispersed.

And the witch was torn to stuffing filled shreds.

* * *

beta work by the amazing Celine!/Cheesecakewitch!


	11. Chapter 10: Gangue

The barrier melted away with a wave of energy that twisted through Homura's whole being, through her, arms, her legs, her neck, and finally, her very soul.

She glanced down at her hand and watched a wave of said energy rip some of the darkness from her soul gem, taking a thin layer of grief into itself before whooshing away like a faint breeze.

Mami dispersed the ribbons as they watched the energy of the barrier converge before splitting into tiny shards of pink crystals, hovering for a brief moment before falling and landing on the stairs with a clatter.

Homura immediately sagged to the floor with relief. "T-that was a-"

"Homura!"

Her thought was stopped by a sudden pink blur crashing into her.

For the briefest moment, Homura tensed, and thought perhaps the witch was back from the dead for more.

But the smell of melon suddenly wafted over her and she relaxed.

"Homuraaaaa-!" Madoka squeezed her tighter. 'W-we thought you got hurt really badly, a-and you couldn't call out to us, or w-worse-"

"M-Ms Kaname, please calm down!" She stuttered while being hugged tightly by her worried fretting friend. In the corner of her eye, she saw Sayaka, transformed and sword in hand, looking sheepish.

"W-we're fine, really...!" Homura assured once more.

"Jeez, Madoka,I told you!" Sayaka teased, de-transforming back to her normal uniform and letting her sword fade away into blue specks.

Mami covered her mouth as she let out a small, polite laugh. "You two really should have more faith in her. Ms Akemi is perfectly skilled when push comes to shove!"

Mami leaned down and picked up the shards scattered across the steps, her magical outfit disappearing with a flash, the yellow energy returning to her ring.

Picking up the remaining of the shards, she extended her hand out to Homura, a few shards in her palm glinting varying shades of pink in the light. "You should clear your soul gem before I hand these in."

Homura gave her a shy smile and picked up the two brightest shards, pushed them against her hand and watched the remaining specks of despair fade away from her gem.

"Thank you, Ms Tomoe!" Pink dusted itself across her cheeks as she handed the shards back to the blonde.

"Aha! What happened to just 'Tomoe'?" Mami laughed again while Sayaka and Madoka blinked in confusion at the exchange.

"It's like you were like a different person once the fight had started, you know!" She smiled even wider as she took the now dim shards back into her hand.

"Well, I...uh-"' Homura struggled to explain as Sayaka laughed at her attempts.

"Oh Homura! Thats's- That's-!" Madoka squealed. "You're so cool!" She hugged Homura again with a force that could take the life out of Homura's lungs.

"For real? Transfer student's got a dark side!?" Sayaka let out a mock gasp and draped herself against the wall dramatically. "She'll corrupt poor Madoka with her evil ways if we don't step in! Mami, we must stop this evil monster before-"

 _'I honestly doubt Homura is a monster.'_

 _Schwarze Katze._

The telepathic voice cut through the conversation instantly and the girls turned to the feline shape standing on the handrail, watching its tail idly swish around.

"Ah." Mami turned to greet it with a smile. "Incubator. I was just going to call you!" She flung the gem shards into the air.

"Catch!"

The shards fell into the darting Incubator as it snatched the shards expertly before they could hit the ground.

 _'Aah! Careful, Mami!'_ The incubator let out a huff as he sagged whilst scolding the blonde, all while the Madoka clapped at the sight and giggling.

"I'm sorry." Mami laughed "I just couldn't help myself!" The Incubator let out another sigh, much larger and more exasperated than the last before turning to the girls.

 _'Well please refrain from doing that in the future!'_ He opened his mouth for a pointy, but friendly grin. _'I have to get these shards home safe and sound!'_ His black tail flicked behind him annoyedly.

 _'And I've told you! Don't call me Incubator!'_

 _Schwarze Ratte._

 _'Call me Jyubey!'_


	12. Chapter 11: Recreant

Plucking the food from her lunch, Homura stared around the roof the four of them were currently relaxing on. Mami was still scolding Sayaka and Madoka for following them despite their agreement.

"It was already lunchtime and we thought some freaky witch had got you guys!" Sayaka whined, trying to argue with Mami, against better judgement.

"That still doesn't mean you should have been so careless." Mami's tone was firm, yet concerned. "What if someone had seen you two?"

"We're sorry Mami" The duo hung their heads in the air, feeling defeated. "We won't do it again…"

All the while, Homura was looking at the incubator grooming himself on the railing of the roof.

 _'What is it, Homura?_ ' He turned to her with wide, curious eyes.

 _Nein_

"I-" Homura hesitated, not sure what to say to the incubator. The feeling of discontent and all around the feeling that something is off from before returned at the sight of Jyubey.

He seemed... wrong somehow.

Memories of the barrier began to align.

"Did you-" She bit her lip nervously, unsure of how to word her strange misgivings.

"Did you used to look different?"

Jyubey tilted his head questioningly.

 _Halt_

 _'I've always looked like this, Homura!'_ He jumped down towards her, the idle talk of the nearby girls lulling in the background.  
 _'I'm pretty confident I've looked this way for like… a very long time.'_ He stood at Homura's feet, looking up at her expectantly.

With the food in her lap going cold, a thought that flickered within the barrier came back in focus.

 _'What do you think I'm meant to look like, though?'_ His tail swished.

"...like a real Incubator."

 _Nicht_

 _She froze, the air around her seemed colder. She felt eyes watching her, not looking her skin, flesh, or bone, but her soul and mind._

 _She glanced at Madoka and her friends, they were still wrapped up in conversation, unaware of the thought that burned itself in Homura's mind, spinning in circles and meaning nothing._

 _She felt pins and needles across her whole body and opened her mouth to speak only to breath in cold, dead, air, that was rotted and fetid with the single thought that wormed into her mind._

 ** _I can't go back if I die._**

 _The string of words cascaded across her thoughts in an ocean of wrong wrong wrong wrong wr-_

 _Verlassen_

 _'Aha.'_ She snapped back to reality as Jyubey spoke and turned away from her. _'Be careful, Homura... you don't want to push too fast.'_

He tilted his head to look at her, his teeth gleaming, jagged and white.

' _You wouldn't want to break things this early, would you?'_

 _Mich_

"Where's Jyubey?" Homura darted round to find Madoka suddenly by her side, eyes curious and hands clenching her skirt.

Homura turned back and found the roof empty, and where the black incubator stood, there was nothing.

He'd gone off.

She pretended not to see the yellow eye hovering over her.

 _Can't go back where?  
_

* * *

entire story reedited three times over, all chapters have lil fixes, mostly small  
generally just making it more readable lmao  
next time: we return to a certain seer who tries to chat with her dad

BETA'D BY THE AMAZING /cheesecakewitch


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